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Latest articles

Original scientific paper
Contamination Assessment of Microparticles and Water Quality Parameters in Hot and Cold Dispenser Water

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 4, 12, 2026
Al Baraa Tarnini, Mohamed Said, Maruf Mortula

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Water quality assessment of treated drinking water is essential, particularly when post-treatment mechanisms like water dispensers are involved. These dispensers are typically made of plastic and often include rapid-sand filtration, yet their impact on water quality is underexplored. This study evaluated the influence of dispensers on cold and hot outlets, comparing results with those of the original water sources. Standard laboratory instruments, including a microscope (Kern Optics) integrated with a cellulose nitrate membrane filter and a pump (Rocker 300), biological reagent (Colilert), a pH meter (HQ40d), and a turbidity meter (2100P TurbidityMeter), were used to assess microparticle concentration, bacterial presence, pH, and turbidity. Results showed a negative effect on microparticle concentration in hot water, with a 70% increase compared with cold outlet and original samples; cold samples showed no increase and matched original samples. Dispensers had minimal influence on pH and turbidity, and no samples tested positive for Escherichia coli. The authors recommend using the cold dispenser outlet or original plastic jugs rather than the dispenser’s hot outlet to reduce exposure to emerging pollutants.
Original scientific paper
Evaluating Pay-as-You-Throw System Implementation for Urban Waste Management: Evidence from Guimarães, Portugal

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 4, 12, 2026
Ângela Pereira, Jorge Cunha

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Rapid population growth, combined with increasingly consumption-oriented lifestyles and the intensification of economic activities, has led to a significant rise in natural resource use and municipal solid waste generation, posing major challenges to environmental sustainability. In response to these pressures, the circular economy has emerged as a strategic framework to decouple economic growth from resource consumption by promoting waste prevention, efficient resource use, and the recovery and regeneration of materials throughout their life cycles. This study presents the outcomes of a circular-economy–oriented waste management initiative: the implementation of a Pay-as-You-Throw system for municipal solid waste collection in the municipality of Guimarães, Portugal. The analysis assesses the system’s effectiveness in reducing landfill disposal and encouraging households to separate waste and recycle. The results indicate that the Pay-as-You-Throw system has contributed to a measurable decrease in the volume of waste sent to landfills, alongside an improvement in recycling performance, thereby reducing environmental pollution and supporting the conservation of natural resources. Furthermore, the implementation of the system has generated economic benefits through more efficient waste management operations. It has produced positive social outcomes by fostering greater environmental awareness and behavioural change among residents. Overall, the findings demonstrate that Pay-as-You-Throw systems can serve as an effective policy instrument within a circular economy framework, contributing to the development of more sustainable urban systems and supporting broader environmental and resource efficiency objectives.
Original scientific paper
A Framework for High-Resolution, Climate-Based Energy Time Series from EURO-CORDEX Climate Projections

Journal of Sustainable Development of Smart Energy Networks, Volume 1, Issue 4, 12, 2026
Matteo Buffo, Fontina Petrakopoulou, Andrea Lazzaretto

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Climate change is reshaping the environmental conditions of energy systems, increasing the need to integrate future climate information into energy modelling frameworks. This work presents a systematic, open-source framework for transforming regional climate projections into high-resolution, energy-relevant weather data. The pipeline processes EURO-CORDEX simulations to produce hourly time series for air temperature, solar irradiance, and wind speed, as well as daily precipitation, across Europe under multiple emission scenarios. In particular, it applies bias adjustment and temporal disaggregation to all variables except precipitation. A comprehensive evaluation against ERA5 is performed to assess dataset quality. Substantial biases in the raw projections are significantly reduced, and the resulting data realistically reproduce observed climate anomalies and the frequency of critical stress events, such as heatwaves and low-wind days. However, solar irradiance peaks are systematically underestimated due to temporal disaggregation to hourly resolution. Moreover, precipitation is deliberately excluded from bias adjustment, as uniform statistical correction degrades model performance. Despite these limitations, the framework provides a reproduceable approach for climate-aware energy system analysis, enabling the assessment of climate impacts on infrastructure planning and system adequacy. It also establishes a foundation for future work, including the integration of updated climate datasets, and the development of advanced post-processing techniques to improve the representation of variability and extremes.
Original scientific paper
Evaluating and Advancing Industrial Symbiosis Solutions Through Stakeholder-Driven Multicriteria Decision Analysis: Insights from The SYMBA Project

Journal of Sustainable Development of Sustainability Indicators, Volume 2, Issue 2, 06, 2026
Lucía González-Monjardin, Abdulaziz Aldureid, Marta Pereira-Ferrer, Brais García-Fernández1, Pedro Villanueva-Rey

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Industrial symbiosis is a key enabler of the circular economy, fostering cross-sector collaboration for the reuse of energy, materials, and resources. However, the implementation and scaling of industrial symbiosis solutions are often constrained by differences in maturity, stakeholder readiness, and contextual suitability. This paper presents a stakeholder-driven Multicriteria Decision Analysis methodology developed within the Horizon Europe-funded SYMBA project (101135562) to evaluate and prioritise industrial symbiosis solutions in bio-based industrial ecosystems across Europe. The framework assesses over 150 industrial symbiosis solutions using five readiness dimensions and weighting factors co-created through iterative engagement with internal and external stakeholders. The methodology enables the classification of solutions by maturity and provides targeted implementation guidance, offering a transparent and replicable decision-support tool to advance industrial symbiosis.
Original scientific paper
Overcoming Constraints for Fair Energy: Compatible Solutions in Heritage Protected Urban Centres

Journal of Sustainable Development of Smart Energy Networks, Volume 1, Issue 4, 12, 2026
Andrea Palmieri, Paolo Maria Congedo, Cristina Baglivo, Pio Alessandro Lombardi, Przemyslaw Komarnicki

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Decarbonizing historic urban centres is challenging due to strict architectural and landscape conservation constraints, which limit conventional energy efficiency and renewable solutions. This study investigates three districts in the UNESCO-protected historic centre of Quedlinburg (Germany), assessing the potential of integrated interventions including internal wall insulation, window upgrades, hybrid heating systems, and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Results indicate that envelope improvements combined with hybrid gas boiler–air/water heat pump systems reduce heating demand by over 35%, with a further 10% decrease under projected 2050 climate conditions. BIPV integration contributes to an approximately 30-35% reduction in non-renewable primary energy, depending on roof orientation and available surface area. hDistrict-level analysis confirms the scalability of these measures, demonstrating that conservation-compatible strategies can achieve significant energy and emissions reductions while respecting heritage constraints, providing a replicable framework for other historic centres.
Original scientific paper
Application of Team-Based Learning in Green Infrastructure Education: An Active and Interdisciplinary Approach to Sustainable Engineering

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 4, 12, 2026
Bruno Noronha Rodrigues, Ana Laura Fragoso Favoreti, Jakeline Pertile Mendes, Vitor Eduardo Molina Junior, Cristina Matos Silva, Felippe Benavente Canteras

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Team-based learning has been increasingly applied in engineering education as an active learning methodology to enhance student engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. This study evaluates the implementation of team-based learning in a graduate-level Green Infrastructure course and analyses its impact on student performance and perceptions. The methodology involved individual assessments, team discussions, and a final Class Evaluation Form to measure student engagement and learning outcomes. Results indicate that team-based assessments significantly outperformed individual assessments, reinforcing the effectiveness of peer learning. Students’ feedback highlighted high engagement, the topic’s relevance, and the instructor’s essential role in facilitating discussion. These findings suggest that team-based learning fosters a more interactive and meaningful learning environment, making it a valuable approach for engineering education, particularly in interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused courses. Future studies could explore long-term knowledge retention and professional skill development through team-based learning.
Original scientific paper
The Role of Scientific Empathy and Learning Preferences in Shaping Innovative and Sustainable Learning in European Higher Education

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 4, 12, 2026
Andreja Abina, Aleksander Zidanšek, Alenka Temeljotov Salaj, Mara Gabriela Diaconu, Cristina Canal, Francesco Tampieri, Anton Nikiforov, Rino Morent, Tatiana Banderova, Alexandre Nomine, Uroš Puc

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Understanding learning preferences and empathetic needs remains a key challenge in developing aligned learning strategies in higher education, particularly within science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The study explores how learning content can address diverse cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional student preferences. It assumes that integrating students’ learning preferences can improve alignment between learning approaches and sustainability- and innovation-oriented education. An empathetic questionnaire was used to examine visual, auditory, hands-on, and emotionally driven learning preferences among students from five European higher education institutions. The results suggest a strong preference for visual and hands-on learning approaches. Subject-specific differences indicate that visual and practical methods are preferred for sustainability topics, whereas auditory and experiential methods are preferred for entrepreneurial learning. The findings highlight the potential importance of empathy-based learning design in developing inclusive, adaptable, and student-centred learning approaches that may better prepare students to address complex sustainability challenges.
Original scientific paper
Investigation of Process Feasibility and Mechanical Performance of Prosopis Juliflora Biobased Residue Materials for Additive Manufacturing

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Mihreteab Kidanemariam Gebregewergs, James Wamai Mwangi, Kabini Karanja, Monnamme Tlotleng

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Biobased residues from agriculturee and invasive plants can be used as cost-effective, sustainable alternative materials for additive manufacturing. This study investigates the feasibility of using Prosopis juliflora, an invasive and abundant species, as a feedstock for binder jetting and paste extrusion three-dimensional printing. Powders derived from Prosopis juliflora leaf, stem, and pod residues were characterised, and carboxymethyl cellulose was used as a binder in different formulations. Leaf and stem powders exhibited suitable powder properties, with stable powder-bed formation during binder jetting. In contrast, pods were sticky and tended to agglomerate, limiting their use in this process. Paste extrusion manufactured stable components for all fractions except at high binder ratios for pod-based materials. Mechanical testing showed maximum compressive strengths of 6.74 MPa, 10.17 MPa, and 4.64 MPa, and flexural strengths of 4.94 MPa, 13.45 MPa, and 9.44 MPa for leaf, stem, and pod samples, respectively. These findings demonstrate the potential of Prosopis juliflora residues as sustainable materials for additive manufacturing applications.
Original scientific paper
Assessing Sustainable Electromobility Futures in a Multi-Model Platform with Grid and Urban Planning: A Case Study in Chile

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Marcelo Matus Acuña, Gonzalo Bustos-Turu, Tomás Cox Oettinger, Mónica Zamora Zapata, Williams Calderón-Muñoz, María del Pilar Buitrago-Villada, Carlos García Bujanda, Lorenzo Reyes-Chamorro, Luis Vera Ortega, Fernando Peña-Cortés, Eduardo Fernández Soto

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There is a growing shift towards zero-emission transport technologies to mitigate climate change. While electric vehicles are gaining traction, transitioning to electromobility will impact both transportation and energy sectors. Evaluating potential future electromobility scenarios can enable decision-makers to anticipate infrastructure needs, energy demand patterns, and environmental benefits. This paper presents a highly interdisciplinary simulation and assessment framework for evaluating electromobility adoption scenarios in urban centres, integrating five modules: (i) technology adoption, (ii) urban planning, (iii) transport systems, (iv) power distribution, and (v) energy system expansion. While considering grid and urban planning, it assesses the sustainability, performance, and infrastructure requirements of transport electrification through indicators that were determined in a participatory process with public and private collaborators. A case study using data from Temuco and Padre Las Casas in Chile demonstrates the methodology's applicability.
Original scientific paper
A Sustainability-Based Monitoring and Decision Support Framework for Local Climate Adaptation via Water Retention Measures

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Zsolt Hetesi, Boglárka Lakatos, Dorottya Szám, Tímea Eisner, Zsolt Cimer

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This paper presents a practical framework for the design and evaluation of local, nature-based water retention measures for small and medium-sized municipalities. The framework consists of two components: first, a site-selection score operationalises social, economic, and environmental–geographical sustainability pillars using transparent binary criteria aggregated through a multiplicative rule; and second, a lean monitoring design defines key hydrological, ecological and socio-economic indicators including the use of control sites. The framework is demonstrated on municipal climate-adaptation pilot interventions in Hungary, illustrating how the multiplicative aggregation highlights weak sustainability dimensions that may be concealed by additive indices. A three-dimensional visual representation supports communication of trade-offs to non-expert stakeholders. Overall, the framework improves measurability, comparability, and replicability of local climate adaptation and is suitable for municipalities with limited technical capacity.
Review paper
Hydrosocial Connectivity and Water Footprint Governance from Andean Headwaters to Coastal Landscapes

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Franklin Ore Areche, Luis Donato Araujo Reyes, Percy Cesar Estrada-Ayre, Percy Eduardo Basualdo-Garcia, Anthony Enriquez-Ochoa, Syntia Porras-Sarmiento, Miriam Liz Palacios-Mucha, Russbelt Yaulilahua-Huacho

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Freshwater generated in Andean headwaters regulates ecological processes and sustains rural livelihoods, irrigated agriculture, and expanding coastal cities across western South America. Climate-driven glacier retreat, declining baseflows, land-use intensification, and institutional fragmentation increasingly disrupt this mountain coast hydrological continuum, with severe implications for biodiversity, landscape resilience, and equitable water access. Despite these interconnected pressures, few studies integrate water footprint management with human rights and Indigenous governance perspectives to assess how landscape-scale decisions shape coupled Andean–coastal socio-ecological systems. This review addresses this gap through a structured assessment of scientific literature, hydrological datasets, policy frameworks, and community case studies. Results highlight three dominant drivers of hydrological and ecological degradation: inefficient highland irrigation systems, accelerated cryosphere loss, and governance fragmentation that disconnects upstream users from coastal water security. Traditional Andean infrastructure, including ‘amunas’, terracing, ‘bofedales’, and communal ‘acequias’, emerges as nature-based solutions capable of enhancing infiltration, stabilising flows, and sustaining high-altitude biodiversity. Case studies demonstrate that integrating water footprint management with Indigenous ecological knowledge strengthens ecosystem services, reduces grey-water pollution reaching coastal basins, and operationalises the human right to water. Hybrid governance models that combine remote sensing, hydrological modelling, and water footprint management indicators with community-led water management offer the greatest potential to improve landscape resilience under climate change. Embedding water footprint management into regional land- and water-use policies can protect headwater ecosystems, mitigate salinisation and freshwater decline in coastal aquifers, and promote long-term hydro social sustainability across the Andes coast continuum.
Original scientific paper
Energy Renovation in Apartment Buildings Through Heat Recovery: A Comparative Case Study of HRV and EAHP

Journal of Sustainable Development of Smart Energy Networks, Volume 1, Issue 4, 12, 2026
Katarina Rupar-Gadd, Mohammed Hadrous

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Renovation measures aimed at recovering heat from exhaust air were assessed for their energy performance and economic feasibility in three Swedish apartment buildings. Case Building 1_C‑HRV(Växjö) implemented a central heat recovery ventilation system, achieving the largest improvement: a 23% reduction in primary energy use (22 kWh/m²/year). Case Building 2_DE‑HRV (Ljungby) installed decentralised HRV units, which increased energy consumption by 2 kWh/m²/year and incurred the highest annual service costs (SEK 14,000). Case Building 3_EAHP (Växjö) integrated an exhaust air heat pump in one building, reducing primary energy use by 15% (12 kWh/m²/year) while supplying heat to three buildings on the premises. Despite the energy savings, none of the renovation measures were economically feasible under current conditions; the shortest payback period was 19 years for the exhaust air heat pump. Future integration of smart controls and photovoltaic panels could improve economic viability, particularly for Case Building 3_EAHP, where operational patterns favour complementary technologies.
Original scientific paper
Numerical Analysis of Blade Design for Enhanced Wind Turbine Performance

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Marija Lazarevikj, Monika Uler-Zefikj, Ivana Zdravkovska, Ema Vasileska, Viktor Iliev, Risto V. Filkoski

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The transition to renewable energy sources is increasingly urgent as fossil fuels remain a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Wind energy represents a promising option due to its low cost, environmental benefits, and continuous technological advancements. Although several high-potential locations have been identified in North Macedonia (RNM), wind resources remain underutilized and studies on turbine designs adapted to local conditions are limited. This study investigates blade design for a selected site in RNM through a comparative evaluation of several blade geometry analytical approaches for a horizontal-axis wind turbine, together with an iterative BEM-based refinement aimed at improving geometric feasibility. Airfoil selection considered both aerodynamic and structural requirements along the blade span, using a thicker DU-97 profile in the inboard region and FFA-W3 airfoils toward the mid and outer blade sections. Numerical simulations were performed to analyse aerodynamic performance, loading characteristics, and expected energy production, providing insight into blade configurations suitable for site-specific wind conditions in RNM.
Original scientific paper
Modeling, Optimization and Economic Analysis of Linear Fresnel Reflector for Direct Steam Generation for Tea Factories in Kenya

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Edwin Moikoyo, Francis Njoka, Evan M. Wanjiru

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The Linear Fresnel reflector is a promising solar concentrating technology for industrial process heat applications. This study optimizes key solar field geometric parameters to maximize optical efficiency and determines optimal system size based on solar multiple and tea factory thermal energy demand. The optimized solar field is integrated into a dynamic simulation model that analyzes hourly performance, incorporating steam storage and fuelwood hybridization for continuous supply. Economic performance is evaluated using simple payback period, levelized cost of heat, net present value and internal rate of return. The optimal configuration ‒ receiver height of 4.4 m, mirror width of 0.5 m, mirror row spacing of 0.2 m ‒ achieves a maximum 66.28% optical efficiency. A solar multiple of 2.25 provides 14 hours of storage, yielding average solar fractions of 0.5915 and 0.3853 during high and low irradiance months, respectively. The hybrid system reduces annual woodlot consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 48.84%.
Original scientific paper
The Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystems Nexus through Sustainable Development Goal Interactions: A Temporal Dynamics Approach

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Teresa Gual, Manuel Pulido-Vázquez, Jose Alberto Conejero, Ximo Gual-Arnau

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The Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystem nexus highlights the interconnections between water, energy, agriculture, and ecosystems, emphasising cross-sectoral coordination for sustainable development. This study examines the nexus across the twenty-seven European Union member states through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals 2, 6, 7, and 15, using time series data from 2001 to 2023. Countries are first clustered based on Sustainable Development Goal trends using Euclidean distance and Dynamic Time Warping, followed by a comparison of results with an existing classification. Subsequently, a Vector Autoregressive model is applied to analyse interactions among the goals and identify key drivers within the Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystem nexus. Results show consistent dependencies among the Sustainable Development Goals at both the European Union and country levels, with some country-specific variations aligning with cluster affiliations. These findings enhance the understanding of goal interdependencies and inform policy actions to strengthen underdeveloped linkages, supporting the effective implementation of the Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystem nexus in the European Union.
Review paper
Shallow-Water Hydrokinetic Turbines: A Critical Systematic Review of Design Parameters, Performance Validation, and Deployment Challenges

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Kornpaphop Ruttanawijit, Yodchai Tiaple, Xiaodong Zhang

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Shallow-water hydrokinetic turbines (water depth less than 3 m) have attracted decades of research, yet global installed capacity remains below 100 MW. This systematic review critically analyzes 38 studies (January 2015–December 2025, with 9 legacy background studies 2000-2014) across design parameters, performance validation, and deployment barriers using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines with dual independent screening (Cohen’s kappa = 0.83). Three technology families demonstrate distinct trade-offs: Cross-Flow Impulse turbines achieve field-validated power coefficient = 0.18 – 0.28; Floating Water Wheels operate at power coefficient = 0.12 – 0.18 (kinetic mode, blockage ratio < 0.40) or hydraulic efficiency = 0.45–0.60 (Rotating Hydrostatic Pressure Machine mode, blockage ratio > 0.40); Cross-Flow Lift turbines lack shallow-water field validation despite laboratory potential (power coefficient = 0.35 – 0.49). Systematic 15 – 45% laboratory-to-field performance degradation demands explicit derating factors in design practice. Methodological analysis reveals ±20–40% prediction uncertainty from competing blockage corrections (±18% variation), unvalidated volume-of-fluid free-surface modeling (22% validate surface profiles), and absent ventilation frameworks. Economic barriers prove decisive: field capital costs (5,000 – 12,000 USD/kW) yield levelized cost of electricity 0.1 – 0.30 USD/kWh versus solar photovoltaic 0.03 – 0.05 USD/kWh. Evidence positions shallow-water hydrokinetics as niche technology for off-grid baseload and site-constrained applications rather than mainstream renewable deployment.
Original scientific paper
Iterative Optimization Approach for Sizing Standalone Photovoltaic Systems with Energy Storage Battery Integrating a Predictive Battery Aging Model

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Guétinsom Jean Kafando, Daniel Yamegueu

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This work optimizes the conventional intuitive sizing method for standalone photovoltaic systems with energy storage, still widely used despite its limitations, particularly neglecting battery aging. It often leads to oversized storage and higher costs due to excessive autonomy days assumptions. This paper proposes an improved iterative approach based on hourly irradiance and consumption profiles while integrating a predictive battery aging model to enhance system reliability and economic feasibility. A global energy model, performance indicators, a battery aging model, and a MATLAB algorithm were developed. A simulation for a 4.5 kWh/day consumption in a peri-urban area of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, yielded an optimal configuration: a 1060 W_p Photovoltaic generator and a 100.60 Ah storage renewed every two years, covering 90% of demand at 0.20 EUR/kWh. This approach reduces the storage size by 35.92% and the Levelized Cost of Energy by 37.50% compared to the conventional method.
Original scientific paper
Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Residential Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems: A Case Study of Zagreb, Croatia

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Jan Karl Ormuž, Irena Žmak

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The environmental performance of residential rooftop photovoltaic electricity systems is becoming increasingly important for urban energy transition strategies. This study assesses whether rooftop photovoltaic electricity generation can reduce environmental impacts relative to conventional electricity supply in Zagreb, Croatia. It is hypothesised that rooftop photovoltaic electricity systems have lower climate-related and resource-related impacts than the national electricity grid mix. A screening cradle-to-use life cycle assessment was performed using site-specific electricity-generation data and impact categories defined by a European construction-product standard, with all impacts expressed per 1 kWh of electricity delivered. The results show a 65.89 per cent lower climate change impact and a 94 per cent lower fossil resource consumption than the modelled Croatian electricity grid mix. Overall, the findings suggest that rooftop photovoltaic systems in Zagreb can reduce climate and resource-related impacts under the assumed screening model.
Original scientific paper
Impact of Future Changing Climate on the Energy Demand of Finland’s Building Stock

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Dimitrios Siakas, Ona Vassallo, Michela Galassini, Kaisa Kontu

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This study examines the energy demand of the building stock in Kanta-Häme, Finland, through simulations with the dynamic, multi-zone simulation software IDA Indoor Climate and Energy. Four buildings with varying materials, construction years, and purposes were examined. Heating and cooling energy requirements were evaluated using the current climate Test Reference Year 2020, with future projections based on Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5 for Test Reference Years 2030 and 2050. The findings suggest that, compared to the 2020 baseline, cooling demand increases while heating demand decreases under both scenarios. For all buildings, the heating energy demand was found to decrease by 2050, from 9.9% to 24%, depending on building type and climate scenario. For the two buildings with installed cooling systems, the cooling energy demand increased from 8.4% to 44.3%, while the total energy demand decreased from 9.4% to 18.1% across climate scenarios and cooling techniques. This result indicates an overall decline in future total energy demand. The other two buildings without installed cooling systems showed signs of severe overheating, one of them even in the Test Reference Year 2020, and up to 97% in Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 Test Reference Year 2050. Hotter summers will increase the need for cooling to prevent overheating, mitigate discomfort and associated health risks, particularly among vulnerable populations. The main challenge concerns existing buildings, particularly those without cooling systems.
Original scientific paper
An Extended Environmental Flow Assessment in Regulated Rivers: Integrating Hydraulic Modelling, Habitat Suitability, and Water Quality

Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Volume 14, Issue 3, 09, 2026
Indratmo Soekarno, Ika Sari Damayanti Sebayang, Eka Oktariyanto Nugroho, . Widyaningtias, Dimas Putra Wahyudi, Mohammad Iqbal Huseiny, Regina Dio Oriandra, Eka Septiani Putri, Icha Efrita Arisiwe

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Environmental flow assessment in regulated tropical rivers is often constrained by limited data and strong hydropower alteration. Conventional hydrological approaches based on fixed flow indices rarely account for the ecological complexity required for sustainable management. This study develops an extended species-centred environmental flow assessment framework by integrating hydrological analysis, hydraulic simulations, habitat suitability thresholds, and discharge-water quality analysis. The approach was applied to the downstream of Cirata Dam on the Citarum River, Indonesia. Habitat-based modelling identified an optimal discharge of 93.12 m³/s, maintaining 94% of suitable habitat area, while achieving good water quality conditions would require a discharge exceeding 500 m³/s, which is hydrologically unrealistic. The integrated results demonstrate that determining environmental flows in a regulated river must balance ecological and hydrological feasibility. Flow alone cannot ensure recovery in the context of pollution control, underscoring the importance of combined flow regulation and watershed-scale water management policies.

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